PRODUCING SECURE SILICONE RELEASE LINERS COST-EFFICIENTLY

Silicone release liners must securely close shipping packaging. Reliability is achieved with the consistently uniform adhesive application of Robatech technology. You apply self-adhesive closures at high speed and save up to 30 % PSA hotmelt adhesive. The narrow Vivo 18 coating heads also allow silicone release liners and tear strips to be arranged close to each other. The system integration into folding box gluers or shipping pouch machines is surprisingly easy. 

HIGH-QUALITY SILICONE RELEASE LINERS: SECURITY IN E-COMMERCE

As a packaging manufacturer, you know that the secure adhesion of a self-adhesive closure determines whether goods arrive safely at the recipient in online commerce. Online retailers, therefore, pay attention to high-quality silicone release liners. Various options are available for manufacturing them:

  • Applying a double-sided adhesive tape. With this process, the production speed must be throttled to 100 m/min to ensure reliable adhesion of the prefabricated adhesive tape to the substrate.

  • Applying PSA adhesive directly to the substrate with the addition of a safety margin. The increased adhesive amount is used to compensate for any gaps or irregularities in the adhesive application. This improves the reliability of the silicone release liner. However, the operating costs are high.

  • Applying PSA pressure-sensitive adhesive with a Robatech system. The integrated quantity control calculates and controls the correct application quantity according to application width, application weight, and machine speed. The adhesive is applied consistently and uniformly to the substrate. Safety margins become superfluous. This enables adhesive savings of up to 30 % in packaging production and a production speed of up to 250 m/min.

SELF-ADHESIVE CLOSURES FOR CARDBOARD, PAPER, AND FILMS

A silicone release liner from Robatech consists of a PSA hotmelt adhesive application and a silicone paper strip that precisely covers the adhesive strip. The application of silicone release liners to shipping packaging depends on the respective substrate:

  • For shipping packaging made of corrugated cardboard, solid cardboard, or paper, the Vivo 18 coating head applies the hotmelt adhesive directly to the substrate. Next, an applicator (partner company) places the silicone paper on the hotmelt strip with millimeter precision.

  • Shipping pouches made of PE film, PCR film, or COEX film are heat-sensitive, and the application heads are hot. For this reason, the Vivo 18 coating head applies the adhesive intermittently to the silicone paper. Subsequently, the glued silicone paper strip is applied to the film. The film is cut in the adhesive-free gap. This keeps the cutting tool free of adhesive buildup.


The silicone paper can be easily gripped in both variants, as it protrudes longitudinally and laterally beyond the adhesive strip. The PSA adhesive strip is fully covered, so the packaging materials cannot stick together during stacking.

Silicone release liners on cardboard
Silicone release liners on shipping pouches

FLEXIBILITY: ONE OR TWO SILICONE RELEASE LINERS

You produce packaging materials of different sizes? You would like to have the flexibility to apply one or two silicone release liners, possibly also in combination with a tear strip?

Robatech offers you advantageous system configurations:

You can apply one or two adhesive strips at a minimum distance of 8 mm using the JumboFlex melter (C), the Enduro heated hose, and two side-by-side Vivo 18 coating heads (D). One or two downstream silicone paper applicators (partner company) cover the PSA strips precisely.

Hot melt adhesive application of two silicone release liners in parallel

The adhesive application system (C, D) can also be used to apply an adhesive strip and a tear strip. Two applicators (partner company) are installed downstream, one for the tear strip and one for the silicone paper strip.

Application of one silicone release liner and one tear strip

The combination of two systems offers the greatest flexibility in the application of self-adhesive closures and tear strips:

  • A and B for applying a tear strip between two silicone release liners or next to a single one.
  • Downstream C and D for applying one or two adhesive strips and two silicone paper applicators.
  • If no silicone release liner or only one is applied, the respective application head can be raised to the rest position via an optional suspension.
One or two silicone release liners with tear strip
PSA application of two silicone release liners

SAVING SPACE WITH THE VIVO 18 COATING HEAD

The Vivo 18 coating head is used in all system configurations for PSA hotmelt adhesive application. This has the following advantages:

  • Narrow head with little space required for installation
  • The use of the same type of coating head simplifies machine design, but also spare parts inventory
  • Silicone release liners and tear strips can be applied to the substrate in a space-saving manner
  • The application width can be adjusted within five minutes using masks
  • Continuous adjustment of the distances between the adhesive strips by simply moving the coating heads

SELF-ADHESIVE CLOSURES – STRAIGHTFORWARD SYSTEM INTEGRATION

The adhesive application solution for self-adhesive closures can be easily integrated into existing and new folding box gluers or shipping pouch machines via open interfaces and standardized Fieldbus protocols. You can choose at which system component you want to operate the adhesive application system:

  • At the folding box gluer or shipping pouch machine
  • At the silicone paper applicator
  • Stand-alone at the Robatech melter

ADHESIVE APPLICATION SYSTEM FOR SILICONE RELEASE LINERS – ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE

  • High-quality silicone release liners for easy and secure closing of shipping packaging
  • High productivity with application speeds of up to 250 m/min.
  • Fast and easy format changeover via integrated quantity control, mask technology, and fine adjustment of the Vivo 18 coating head
  • Reduced operating costs through adhesive savings of up to 30 % and simplified spare parts inventory
  • Straightforward system integration via open interfaces or standardized Fieldbus systems
  • Worldwide network of sales and service teams with local contacts

DOWNLOADS

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SYSTEM COMPONENTS FOR SILICONE RELEASE LINERS

Box-JumboFlex

JumboFlex melter

Box-Enduro

Enduro heated hose

Box-Vivo-18

Vivo 18 coating head